Falling For My Fiancé’s Dad

Chapter 1

Adele:

I thought I had the perfect life.

Being the Alpha’s daughter, nothing could ever pull me into a world of poverty and misery—or so I believed.

But I was wrong.

Completely wrong.

In the blink of an eye, everything crumbled, leaving me in a life I never imagined.

Tears blurred my vision as I gazed at my reflection in the cracked mirror. It didn’t feel real.

The girl staring back at me had hollow and sunken eyes . Was this the powerful Adele Martins that everyone once admired and respected?

A sharp ping from my phone suddenly snapped me out of my thoughts. Quickly, I dragged my feet over to the torn, sagging bed where my phone rested.

I picked up the phone and pressed it tightly to my ear.

"Hello, Miss Martins. We’re calling to inform you that your mother’s hospital bills are due. If payment isn’t received soon, her treatment will be stopped." The voice from the other end paused, letting out a breath. "Please, pay up as soon as possible."

"No, please... You can’t—" I started, but before I could even finish, the line went dead with a sharp ping. She had hung up.

Fresh tears began to sting my eyes as I slowly sank onto the worn-out bed.

How was I supposed to come up with the money?

There was no way!

Ever since my father, the Alpha of the White Moon Pack, had been brutally murdered, everything had fallen apart. My mother and I were banished from the pack by the new Alpha who seized control almost immediately.

We were allowed to take nothing. Thankfully, one of the maids had been kind enough to sneak me back in so I could grab the small stash of money I’d saved. But that money was long gone—drained entirely by my mother’s treatment, and she still wasn’t getting better. It felt like the Moon Goddess was punishing us for something we didn’t deserve. It wasn’t fair.

Instantly, I shot to my feet and hurriedly pulled my disheveled hair into a quick ponytail. Swiping some mascara onto my lashes, I grabbed a face cap and pulled it low over my forehead. I couldn’t let my mother die—not when there was still time to scrape together some money.

I swung the door open and froze.. Standing before me was a tall man with his broad figure looming in the doorway. My heart skipped a beat, and could I practically feel my throat tighten..

"Hi, Miss," he said with so much coldness in his voice. "Your rent is expired, and we need you to pay up as soon as possible. You wouldn’t want us to throw you out, would you?" He shot me a piercing glare, and this time, I felt a knot tighten in my stomach.

I immediately clasped my hands together as if it would stop them from trembling. "Ple…ease, give me a little more time. I swear on the goddess’ name, I... I’ll pay up,".

My eyes searched his face for any hint of compassion, but he only gave a curt nod before turning on his heel and walking away.

I felt a cold sweat trickle down my spine. The thought of being thrown out made my chest tighten. I cupped my face in my hands, trying to steady my breathing, but all I could think about was my mother—how critical her condition was, and how powerless I felt to fix any of it.

She was all I had left, and I wasn’t going to stand by and watch her slip away. I wasn’t ready for another round of grief.

I ran over to where my old, beat-up car was parked, and it sputtered to life just as I turned the ignition. I had considered selling it, but I knew it wouldn’t bring in much—barely enough to make a dent in the hospital bills.

Reaching into my bag, I pulled out a small black card with silver-rimmed edges. The memory of the kind woman who had found us six months ago flashed in my mind. She had given me this car to help, and then, in secret, handed me this card.

I stared at the address printed on it, gripping the steering wheel tighter as I drove. I had no idea what awaited me, but it didn’t matter. I was willing to do anything to save my mother.

The moment I turned onto the main road, my attention wavered. The distant hum of passing cars barely registered as my foot pressed harder on the gas. I didn’t even notice the red light until it was too late.

BAM!

The sickening crunch of metal against metal snapped me out of my haze. My car jolted violently, throwing me forward in my seat. My heart stopped as I slammed on the brakes, but it was already done. I had rammed right into the back of a sleek, expensive-looking car.

I froze, gripping the steering wheel, while my pulse started to race as I stared at the damage. The back bumper of the other car was crushed in, and my own front was practically crumpled like an accordion. I had completely spaced out, not even realizing how recklessly I had been driving.

"Dammit!" I muttered under my breath, before my hands fumbled to unbuckle my seatbelt. I swung the door open and stumbled out onto the pavement with my heart pounding in my chest.

The driver of the other car stepped out as his face was now twisted with fury.

“What the hell is wrong with you?" he suddenly yelled, his voice so hoarse I could feel the intense rage coursing through him.

I swallowed hard, feeling my throat go dry. “I—I’m so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention. I… I—”

“You’re sorry? Do you have any f*****g idea what you’ve done?” he snapped before pointing at his now-ruined car.

I didn’t know what to say or how to explain that I had been lost in my own thoughts. I glanced up at him, and his dark gaze was locked on me. His ocean-blue eyes and sharp jawline gave him an almost breathtaking look, which was a stark contrast to the harshness in his voice.

I knew he had every right to be angry, but..

“You’ve suddenly gone silent, huh?” His voice cut through my thoughts as he stepped closer, and my heart raced. “Look, you’ve got to pay for the damage you’ve caused. I’m not letting you off easy. I’m not a nice guy, ask around.”

He stared at me, waiting for a response, but my throat felt tight. Pay? This was just one more debt, piling on top of everything else I already owed.

I dropped to my knees with my face now slick with sweat, “Please, there’s no way I can pay. I already have a mountain of debt—my house rent—”

“How’s that my f*****g problem?” he cut me off, shooting me a deadly glare that could kill.

“Next time, learn how to drive properly before hitting the road!” He tore his gaze away from me and then pointed at the dent I’d left on his sleek car. “That’s going to cost about $80,000.”

My heart sank. $80,000? For a dent? Sure, his car looked luxurious—probably worth more than anything I owned—but that price was outrageous!

“My mother’s in the hospital—dying! There’s no way I can pay such an outrageous amount!” My voice shot up before I could stop it, and as the reality of my words hit me, a sob tore through my chest.

“Please… I’ll do anything. I’m buried in debts.” I sniffled, trying to hold back the tears, and then I noticed his harsh expression soften, just a little.

“You’d do anything?” he asked, and I quickly got to my feet, nodding desperately.

I swallowed hard. “Anything. Whatever you want me to do.”

"What if I offer you a deal? And then I help you in return?”

“W-what?”

He gave a slight nod and walked back to his car, opening the door. A moment later, he emerged with a file in his hand with a wide, forced grin on his face as he held it out to me.

My hands trembled as I flipped through the pages, trying to make sense of the words. Then, I froze. There it was, staring right back at me in bold letters: “A CONTRACT MARRIAGE ARRANGEMENT.”

My eyes shot up to his In an instant. “W..what’s this?”

. “In case you don’t get it, it’s a contract marriage. I desperately need a wife. Well…a pretend wife. My father won’t let me take over his company, if I don’t have one. So, You marry me for a year, I pay your mother’s hospital bills and wipe out any debt you've got.” He paused, watching my reaction as I continued to stare at him. I was shocked beyond words.

“And not just that,” he continued with a smug smile. “At the end of the contract arrangement, you get a hundred million dollars.”